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The Kingdom of Northpoint
"Located upon the northernmost shores of western High Rock is one of the great powers of High Rock: the kingdom of Northpoint, the head and the heart of what is collectively known as the United Kingdom of the North. Ranging from the capital city of Northpoint itself to the mountains of Eagle Brook and ruling everything in between, the United Kingdom of the North is one of the dominant players in High Rock. The Kingdom shares its heraldry with its oldest family, the royal line of the Carons, and thus the crowned, bare-breasted, dual-tailed mermaid, armed with a bronze trident, upon a blue-green field can be seen flying throughout the North. In recent years, Northpoint has emerged victorious from a long, brutal war with the former kingdom, now archduchy, of Shornhelm. The war effort was spearheaded by High King Daric Caron, the notably unemotional and somewhat cold ruler of the kingdom. The great city of Northpoint, King Daric's seat of power, is many things; not only is it one of the only true cities in the northern realms, but it is also the capital city of the kingdom and one of the largest and most prosperous cities in High Rock, rivaled only by Daggerfall and Wayrest to the south." '- From'"An Examination of High Rock: An Introduction to the Powers of the Bretons" by Sir Basil Wilde Geography of Northpoint Northpoint is, in general, a temperate land, though winter months are certainly cold, especially along the northern coastline. The northernmost coastline is rocky and rough, and subject to frequent but heavy thunderstorms. Inland, however, Northpoint's weather becomes much more stable and calm. The region is moderately hilly, with the only true mountains being the Normar mountain range southeast of Northpoint City. The rest of the nation is divided between fertile farmland and the heavy Whittam Forest. Whittam Forest itself is divided by Loch Camrer (at the mouth of which sits the massive castle-town Old Seaguard) and the Camrer river valley (where the town of Riverton sits). Cities, Towns, Villages, and Castles *'Northpoint', the capital of both the kingdom of Northpoint and the United Kingdom of the North. The city is one of the larger cities in High Rock, and has one of the most bustling ports in all of Tamriel, controlling a vital trade route between High Rock and Skyrim. Called "The City of Whales and Whores" for its thriving whaling industry and large number of brothels. *'Riverton', the seat of the Leoriane family and the second largest town in the hinterlands of Northpoint sits within the Camrer river valley, near the edge of Whittam forest. *'Faith's Leap '''is the seat of the Darein family, refers to both the castle and the town around it; though small, the town is rich due to the wealth of the Darein shipping company. The town sits on a high cliff upon the eastern coastline - the name comes from a sheer cliffface near the edge of town. *'Old Seaguard,' the seat of the Masterston family, is a massive castle. So large, Old Seaguard is, that though it houses a moderately sized town within its walls, many parts of the castle have fallen into disuse. Old Seaguard sits at the entrance to Lake Camrer to the southeast. *'Normar Heights', the seat of the Wickhart family and a wealthy town and castle, sits on the road through the Normar mountain range, and is surrounded by prosperous iron and silver mines. *'Lenly', a town taken over by the Knights of the Tempest when they moved out from Tempest Keep, Lenly has become a fortified training center for the Knights and is completely self-sufficient. *'Millton''' *'Rochenburg' *'Westenbrogue' *'Belbourne' *'Houndrest' *'Salworth' *'Southfork Runnings' *'Aldyn' *'Graytide Keep' *'Stormwatch' * The Solitude * Westerkeep * Drakeshall *'Castle Rosewilder (abandoned)' Notable Geographic features & Landmarks *'Loch Camrer' *'The Camrer rivers' **'Ianich' **'Southfork' **'Wesper' *'Normar Mountain Range' **'Normar Fell' **'Cloudspire Fell' **'Clansfall Fell' **'The Dale of Kinrae' *'Whittam Forest' **'The Elder Clearing': The Elder Clearing is a large clearing near the northern edge of Whittam Forest that is the traditional meeting place for Councils of Repute. The clearing is a site where violence is forbidden, and nobles are kept from carrying weapons or being accompanied by guards while attending a Council of Repute within the Elder Clearing. **'The Bloody' Glen: An ancient glen deep within Whittam Forest, the Bloody Glen has been the site of countless bloody battles throughout the history of Northpoint, including the Kinslayer Battle during the War of the Sirens. Local legend says that the clearing is haunted by the souls of the hundreds who lost their lives in the clearing. **'Scarred Dell: '''So named for the remnants of the Oblivion Gate that opened up in this dell during the Oblivion Crisis, the Scarred Dell is now the site of a simple chapel and monument to those who lost their lives during the Crisis, as well as a dedication to those who helped close the Gate. * '''The Jagged Cliffs: '''The long stretch of cliffed coast across the northern coastline. * '''Sea Drake Drop: '''The northernmost point of Northpoint's coast, where - according to local legend - over a dozen legendary sea serpents have been slain and brought ashore - the scattered skeletons on the beach prove that there's some truth to the legends. 'History' Foundation - 1E902 While Northpoint is by no means the oldest kingdom in High Rock - Daggerfall, of course, takes that honor by several hundred years - it is certainly old enough to be counted amongst the ancient kingdoms, as it can trace its origins back to the First Era. The earliest reference to the first king of Northpoint puts the beginning of his reign at roughly 1E902. Scholars agree that the founder of the kingdom was a Nordic warlord by the name of Triaton Sea-Born. While his name does not come up anywhere outside of Northpointer sources from the First Era, local legend has it that he was a powerful Tongue, in addition to a skilled warrior. He certainly was capable of great deeds; the Seastone Keep, the fortress he built upon landing in High Rock is testament to that. A massive castle clearly inspired by the Palace of Kings in Windhelm, the Seastone Keep was inticately designed (if one studies the stone walls, one can find that each and every stone has unique carvings on it dating back to the First Era) and unusually sturdy, as its walls are entirely intact to this day, and just as strong as they day they were built. Furthermore, the Sea Throne that kings of Northpoint sit on is proof that Triaton managed to kill at least one great sea monster, as the Sea Throne is a massive skull modified into a chair. The reasons why Triaton came to High Rock are, unfortunately, unknown. It's possible that he had made a failed attempt to become High King of Skyrim, and was forced to flee after the attempt, but that theory is pure conjecture. Whatever the reason, Triaton landed in High Rock at the point that would later become his capital city circe 1E900, and soon set out to take over the north. At the time, the northern regions of High Rock were chaotic; there were no kingdoms there then, and instead the land was divided between countless small, warring clans. Such disunity made it easy for Triaton to sweep through the north with his small army of followers; none of the various clans were really able to put up much resistance and within two years Triaton had conquered most of the land north of the Wrothgarian Mountains. Triaton took the youngest daughter the last clan he defeated, Clan Caron, as his wife, along with her surname, and returned to Northpoint to build his keep and rule his kingdom. His rule had no other notable incidents, no further wars or attempted coups, and his children altered the kingdom little beyond building a city around the Seastone Keep. Unfortunately, records are lost after only 100 years, likely due to the Dragon Break. The next known ruler, King Jaelle Caron, has been dated to 1E 2115, meaning that over a thousand years of history were lost to the Middle Dawn. The line of kings that begins at Jaelle is called "the Remembered Dynasty" because of this lack of information. The most notable king from this era was Finn Sea-Born I, the Sailor, who ruled from 2243-2260. So named for joining the All-Flags Navy and sacrificing his life fighting the Sload, Finn was a rare magic-wielding king of Northpoint. He managed to mitigate the Thrassian Plague to the best of his ability while ruling Northpoint, and is credited for being one of the main reasons why the Plague did not affect Northpoint as badly as some of the other Bretic powers (the other main reason being the kingdom's relative isolation compared to Daggerfall and Wayrest). There were three other dynasty changes during the First Era. The Adopted Dynasty began in 1E 2380, when Maeri Caron's adopted brother was chosen as her successor instead of her child, her designated heir. The Bastard Dynasty began in 1E 2529 when Aoedon Caron III's bastard daughter Síle was chosen by a Council of Repute. The Replacement Dynasty began in 2752, after Darrien Caron tried to start a rebellion against the Second Empire - he was removed from the throne and his brother Liam Caron was appointed to take his place. 2E0 - 2E896 The Replacement Dynasty lasted several decades into the Second Era, until the civil war known as the "War of the Sirens" broke out in 2E 78, when a Council of Repute reached a deadlock while deciding between a pair of twins, Tadgh and Marlowe. The Council of Repute deliberated for months (as opposed to the usual week) to no avail, and each brother was supported by half of the noblility. Because neither of them were willing to revoke their claim to the throne, war broke out; Tadgh claimed Northpoint itself, but Marlowe claimed the westernmost edges of the kingdom. The two skirmished for years with no great changes in territory, until Tadgh had his brother assassinated. This galvanized their younger sister, Roisin, to take up arms for Marlowe's claim. Unfortunately for Tadgh, Roisin was a much more aggressive (and capable) warrior and general than Marlowe had been, and she began to push Tadgh's territory further and further east, until she met him in battle at the Bloody Glen in 2E 43. Tadgh learned why his younger sister was called the Red Rose that day, as Roisin slew him on the battlefield. (To this day, Roisin is considered the greatest warrior woman in Northpoint legend, and naming a daughter Roisin is an omen of both greatness and tragedy.) Roisin didn't even manage a year of peaceful rule before Tadgh's supporters had her assassinated, and war was reignited. This time the claimants were Roisin's cousin, Bairre, and Tadgh's son, Seamus (or, rather, Seamus's supporters; Seamus was only fifteen at the time). War continued to rage for the next decade until the other nobles, tired of fighting and finally realizing the toll the wars had taken on Northpoint's population, finally banished Seamus and Bairre. Bairre committed suicide, but Seamus moved south and began a new life as a trader there. At the next Council of Repute, held in 2E94, the nobility elected Liam Mac Turand the new king of Northpoint, beginning the Mac Turand Dynasty. The Mac Turand Dynasty - which only lasted until 2E 213 - devoted most of their effort towards repairing Northpoint's ravaged landscapes, damaged economy, and poor relations with other nations. And the four kings of the dynasty did an admirable job, so much so that even fond memories of the Caron family returned. The last king of the Mac Turand Dynasty, Eamon, even married Seamus's great-granddaughter (officially declaring the Caron exile over). Her son - born before her marriage to Eamon - was elected king by a Council of Repute when Eamon died, beginning the Long Dynasty. Named for being the longest lasting dynasty of direct heirs in Northpoint's history (lasting from 2E 214 to 2E 813), the Long Dynasty was a period of significant modernization for Northpoint, but also one that is relatively boring. Little drama ensued during this era, excepting several years towards the end of the dynasty. Towards the end of the dynasty, the Councils of Repute had become a sham, and the Caron family had become complacent in their positions. The results of such complacency were kings that grew less and less capable as time went on. The trend culminated in the reign of Jerrian Caron, whose reign only last three years before he was ousted. Jerrian was a madman, and was nicknamed "the Drowner" for his favorite method of capital punishment and torture. His instability lead to a Council of Repute ordering an emergency session and choosing his uncle Fergus to take his place. Jerrian learned of the Council and tried to have all of the members and his uncle killed; he failed and set his personal ship on fire in response. He burned to death upon it and almost took half of Northpoint's harbor with him. With Fergus's crowning began the Kneeling Dynasty, the dynasty that knelt to Tiber Septim. Becoming subjects of the Empire was clearly a changing point for Northpoint, and a new ruler was elected by a Council of Repute to honor that. The crowning of Queen Bridget Caron in 3E 0 marked the beginning of the New Dynasty. 3E0 - 3E433 Things happened from 3E0 - 3E417. Northpoint itself was relatively unaffected by the Warp in the West. The regions north of the Wrothgarians had never had quite as many petty kings as the regions on the Illiac, and there were only four other powers: Thorkan, Felway, White Haven, and Wrothmark in the area at the time. The king of Northpoint at the time, Kenneth II, seeing the south unite into several powerful kingdoms, decided to follow their example. He took advantage of the confusion that ensued in the wake of the Miracle of Peace to vassalize his neighbors. Most were vassalized through diplomacy; Northpoint had long been the strongest military power of the North, and Kenneth II promised protection to his neighbors in exchange for fealty. Thorkan resisted, but was vassalized after a quick and decisive war. The new vassals were given titles such as Duke, Count, and Baron in order to signify their positions as regional rulers who were separate from the normal order of nobility in the North. Kenneth II greatly strengthened his Kingdom, and it was his strengthening that allowed his son and successor, Alec, to handle the Oblivion Crisis with relative ease. The Oblivion Gate that opened in Whittam Forest in 3E 433 was contained and closed before the end of the Crisis. 4E0 - 4E28 Tragedy struck for King Alec in 4E 3. His eldest son and designated heir, Aedan IV, died in a tragic hunting accident, and his wife hurled herself off a cliff in grief. Alec's own grief caused him to become a recluse, and his younger child Daric began unofficially ruling in his name. Alec never recovered from his grief-induced seclusion, and died five years later. Daric was named King of Northpoint by the Council of Repute within a week, and almost immediately turned his eyes south. Daric had planned for an annexation of Shornhelm since he was a teenager. It was only a matter of time before one of the southern kingdoms tried to take the North, he assumed, and the only way they would be dissuaded would be if the North - then a tenuous idea, imagined only by Daric - stood as a united kingdom. War might have been avoided had Daric sent diplomats to express that idea instead of soldiers; alas, Daric had never had any tolerance for words when he had steel, and Northpoint invaded Shornhelm in Frostfall 4E 9. Though Daric was a skilled military commander, and Northpoint never lost a battle that he personally commanded, he underestimated Shornhelm's resolve to stay independent. What Daric had planned to be a quick annexation turned into years and years of war with little progress. Every time Daric took a village or city, the guerilla forces of the Shornish people would push Northpoint's army back elsewhere. When he would go to assist those forces, the Shornish guerillas would be gone, and would begin an attack somewhere now. But for ten years Daric refused to withdraw, even as countless lives were lost to the war effort. Withdrawing forces from Shornhelm would be a sign of weakness, he argued, and would invite an invasion from the southern kingdoms. But eventually, with the noblility of the North threatening to have him deposed should he continue the war, he withdrew forces from Shornhelm. That was not the end of it, though. Daric spent the next several years planning another, more efficient attack; though he found subterfuge distasteful, he paid bribes, hired spies, and set the stage for his next attempt to vassalize Shornhelm. And when he launched the second invasion of Shornhelm in 4E 25, it was wildly successful. Not even a year later, he stood at the gates of the capital as they were torn down, and declared Shornhelm - and its vassals - to be subjects of the United Kingdom of the North. Three years later, however, ruling that kingdom proved tedious. For all of Daric's skill in battle and popularity with his soldiers, he was ill-suited for ruling outside of warfare, disdainful of politicking and making nice as he was. Current Events The ends of great and powerful men rarely live up to the lives they live, and Daric was no exception to this trend. He fell ill suddenly in late 4E28 (no doubt from his daily exercise routine involving swimming in the cold northern sea) and despite the best efforts from the healers, died from that illness. His daughter, Elissa, learned of his passing a week later upon returning to Northpoint from the Festival of Peace in Evermore. She was crowned Queen of Northpoint and High Queen of the United Kingdom of the North shortly afterwards. 'Culture & Society' Perhaps the most defining characteristic of Northpoint society is their fierce sense of independence and pride. Northpointers, being the most direct descendants of the Nords amongst the Breton peoples, inherited the Nord's militaristic culture and stubbornness regarding their own sense of individualism, even as Northpoint gradually adopted aspects of Bretic culture (such as knighthoods and the feudal system). This has, however, led to a certain hypocrisy regarding their ideas of freedom. Northpointers themselves are usually resistant to any strong ruler with a large amount of centralized power, to heavy taxes, and to long-term imprisonment or particularly extreme punishment. However, they often see no disconnect between such ideals and their country's frequent tendency to conquer or otherwise control their neighbors. Similarly, though Northpointers elect their own king, there have never been any representatives from the kingdom's vassals invited to participate in a Council of Repute. In Northpoint, surnames are usually reserved for nobility or people of note (such as knights), a side effect of the original clans of the North being either eliminated or taken over by their conquering Nordic overlords early in the First Era. Thus, the majority of peasants go only by their given names, with either their town of origin, their chosen occupation, or some other notable attribute as an additional identifier; to give an example, a peasant named Lugh might be known as Lugh of Rochenberg, or Lugh the Baker, or Lugh the Heavy-Handed. This is certainly reminiscent of Nordic naming patterns, and has also led to Northpointers giving individuals of particular repute being given grand titles or nicknames (for instance, Ser Barron of White Haven being titled "the White Knight of the North," and the Leoriane family passing down the title of "Red Lion/Lioness"). Despite the common stereotype of Bretons as a race being particularly talented users of magic, Northpointers tend to have a unique view on magic amongst the kingdom of High Rock. Because they share more blood with Nords than any other Breton people, Northpointers tend to be less naturally talented at wielding magic (though usually taller and more physically hardy), and have a tendency to look down on magic users as people who are too weak or cowardly to put effort towards physical tasks. Though this cultural view on magic has never led to outright hostility towards mages, and hasn't stopped the Mage's Guild of Tamriel from having an outpost in Northpoint, it has led to many potential mages never learning to harness their talents. Furthermore, the Mage's Guild of Northpoint is woefully understaffed and underfunded, and the Court Mage of Northpoint is probably the most learned mage within the Heartland of the North. This has similarly led to the reclusiveness of the Sea Witches of Northpoint, who live in the coral towers on the seafloor around Northpoint; the Sea Witches are a source of many superstitions in Northpoint, even as their leader maintains a standing position in the court of the king. Northpointers tend to eschew the ostentatiousness of their southern neighbors in favor of practicality, as can be seen in both their fashion and their architecture. Even the nobility usually prefer to clad themselves in leather, fur, and armor rather than silk and lace - though this is partially out of necessity, as Northpoint is much colder on average than southern High Rock. It is not unheard of for southern nobles to mistake their northern counterparts for peasants because of this tendency towards simplicity. What fashion there is amongst the nobility usually comes in the form of ornate suits of armor; such armor usually maintain the appearance of normal, practical armor, but are made of precious metals and bear extensive engravings. Warfare The traditional army of Northpoint is primarily composed of the forces of each noble house, supported by a conscript army of peasants. Each noble family keeps a war band - a standing force of about 150-200 professional warriors - on notice at all times. During times of peace, these war bands acts as guards and enforcers of law, and during small conflicts, they make up the whole of Northpoint's army; during larger wars such as the Unification of the North, however, they act as the commanders of the conscript army. In addition, the Knights of the Tempest typically act as a special forces unit for the kingdom, as they are the most well trained and organized soldiers in the kingdom. Northpoint has traditionally had trouble when it comes to organized, army-on-army warfare. While Northpointers take great pride in their skills as warriors, they generally are poor soldiers; it is not uncommon for a Northpointer to ignore their commander's orders if he sees the opportunity to gain personal glory or make a heroic defense, much to officers' chagrin. In recent years, Northpoint's army commanders - in particular, Daric Caron - have made efforts to minimize that mindset, and have had some success; the Shornish can certainly give evidence . '''The Knights of the Tempest' When one thinks of the knightly orders of High Rock, one probably thinks of a primarily religious order of questing heroes. And while there is certainly some truth to that stereotype for most of the region's chivalric orders, Northpoint's Knights of the Tempest break that mold. For the Knights of the Tempest is in no way a religious order, nor is the primary goal of it's members to go on quests, though many of its members are religious and they do, in fact, occasionally embark on quests. But the Knights of the Tempest are, first and foremost, a military organization in service to the kingdom of Northpoint. On the Sir/Ser Schism Nobility in Northpoint Amongst the land of the Bretons, Northpoint is somewhat of an oddity. An Imperial historian once noted, "Northpoint is an interesting case. The king has absolute authority over the nobles, and the nobles hold absolute authority over the peasants (or freemen, as they prefer to be called). But the nobles choose the king, and the peasants choose the nobles; it seems that while authority in the north may come from the top down, power goes from the bottom up." The historian observed one of Northpoint's most interesting and odd traditions, that the freemen of the North willingly give up absolute power to the nobles, and the nobles in turn name a king over themselves in what is called a Council of Repute. This means that though Northpoint is as heavily centered around feudalism as the southern kingdoms, it is also a strange mix of meritocracy and monarchy. It a common expectation that a noble must be able to back up his or her rule with personal skill in battle, or at least personal charisma; and a noble who takes his position for granted will often find himself unable to rule his people. Similarly, upward mobility is relatively common; very few noble houses last longer than a few generations before another family is deemed more capable takes their place. Only a handful of the current noble families of Northpoint were founded prior to the Third Era. In theory, royalty is held to similar standards. Though a ruler can designate his or her desired successor, rulers are chosen from a pool of candidates based on skill rather than heritage, and are expected to act mainly as war leaders, rather than dictators. In practice, however, Councils of Repute have almost always chosen a ruler's designated heir as his or her successor, and thus the monarchy of Northpoint has remained in the hands of the Caron family for most of the kingdom's existence; there have been only nine or so times that a Council has chosen a king or queen who was not the designated heir of the previous king. Each of those times begins a new dynasty. Technically speaking, the North does not have any orders of nobility. All nobles (except for the King and, recently, regional rulers of vassalized nations) are merely Lords in title. This tradition was meant to discourage nobles from feeling superior to one another, but it has not stopped particularly wealthy or influential nobles from giving themselves grandiose titles; for instance, the deceased Lord Fredric Darein called himself the "Archduke of the Coastline and Warden of Wealth," and Lord Henri Wickhart refers to himself as the "Silver Lord in the Mountains." What follows is a list of most of the noble families of Northpoint, and their most notable members: Notable noble families within Northpoint HOUSE CARON - The Carons are without a doubt the most ancient house in Northpoint, tracing their heritage back to the First Era, to the foundation of the kingdom. The rulers of the kingdom have traditionally been Carons (every ruling dynasty except one has been a Caron dynasty). The Caron coat-of-arms is the same as the Kingdom of Northpoint's: a dual-tailed, crowned mermaid, holding a spear. In addition, the Carons have a motto: "We are the sea, and the sea never yields." The Carons are undergoing a time of transition. The most recent head of the house, King Daric Caron, passed away from a sudden illness, and his daughter Elissa Caron was named High Queen of the North shortly afterwards. HOUSE DAREIN - As the owner of the prosperous Darein Shipping Company, the largest company in Northpoint and the overseers of all of the North's various Guilds, House Darein is an extremely wealthy family. The Darein seat of power is Faith's Leap, a castle and town located on a high cliff, and the Darein coat-of-arms is a golden ship on a blue background''. ''Prosper Darein, a man of 37, is the current Lord of Faith’s Leap, and thus the current head of the Darein family. His brother, Raleigh Darein, is a man of 35, is the present manager of the Darein Shipping Company and Associated Guilds, and one of the royal treasurers of Northpoint. They are brothers to the current queen-dowager of Northpoint, Abelle Caron. HOUSE MASTERSON - House Masterson is best known for being the oldest house in Northpoint besides the Carons, tracing their history back to Koen the Master, a contemporary of Triaton Caron. The surname of the family is a nod to the hero's epithet. The Masterson seat is Old Seaguard, the oldest and largest castle in the North, and the family's coat-of-arms is a white castle on a deep blue background''. ''Teague Masterson, a man 48 years old, is the Lord of Old Seaguard and is the head of the Masterston household. He has three sons, the most notable of whom is the youngest, Ser Franklin Masterston, '''a member of the Stormguard. HOUSE WICKHART - The Wickharts are the most influential of the "Mountain Nobles," as the noble houses of the Normar mountain range are called by the lowland nobility. They are also the richest of those houses, and are known for their prosperous iron and silver mines. The Wickhart's home is in Normar Heights, and the family's coat-of-arms is a silver stag holding a dagger and a pickaxe on a field of black. '''Henre Wickhart, at 49 years of age, is the Lord of Normar Heights and a widower. He styles himself "the Silver Lord of the Mountains," and has three children. Like Teague Masterston, the most notable of them is his youngest, Ser Dorian Wickhart'', ''who is a member of the Stormguard. HOUSE LEORIANE - House Leoriane was originally a minor house from the south who came north midway through the Third Era. The settlement the family was given in the Camrer river valley eventually grew to become Riverton, and the Leorianes' wealth grew with it. The Leorianes pass down a unique title, The Red Lion/Lioness, to one member of the family every generation. Fittingly, the Leoriane coat-of-arms is a scarlet lion''. ''Darcy Leoriane, is the Lady of Riverton and is a woman of 50. Lady Leoriane has married numerous times, and all of her children are the products of different lovers. Amelia, her heir, came from a tryst with an Orc; her twins, Ser Derion 'and '''Silena, ''were born of a Breton bard; and her youngest, Camille, was the product of an affair with a Redguard sellsword. HOUSE GARDNER – The Gardners are a relatively young family that rules over Salworth, a town on the western banks of Loch Camrer. The family has only risen to prominence within the past century or so, due to some careful political maneuvering of its patriarchs. The house’s fortunes have improved even more in recent times, with Lord Jacob marrying into the Leoriane family, and expanding his territory to include Whittam in addition to Salworth. The House’s coat-of-arms is a green oak on a light blue field''. ''Jacob Gardner, a young man of 25 years, is Lord of Salworth and Whittam and the head of the Gardner family. Shortly after taking over the family, he became involved in a feud with Lord Prespetarian of Whittam, and managed to take over his lordship. He recently married Lady Silena '''of House Leoriane. HOUSE MAC TURAND - Though they are a chronically impoverished house, the Mac Turands of Stormwatch are notable for being the only family to have ever been selected by a Council of Repute to rule the kingdom. Their dynasty was relatively short-lived, lasting only four kings and roughly 120 years, but the accomplishment remains. The family's coat-of-arms is a leaping fish. '''Tieran Mac Turand, a older man of 62 years, is the current head of House Mac Turand, though he has begun to take steps to vacate his position in favor of his son, Pearce Mac Turand. Category:Lore Category:Northpoint